The ring! Colin picked it out himself, (with input from Tamera!) I love it so much.
It’s Victorian – imperial jade and rose gold, all hand-fabricated with delicately-chased
swirling elements that resemble twining leaves or the tails of frolicking sea-creatures.
I’ve chosen to wear it on my center finger, because it looks best there, symmetrically,
and because it fits that one perfectly. I don’t want to have it re-sized, since it won’t
really want to share a finger with the wedding band. We’re planning to make our
rings in mokume-gane, with some ancestral diamonds and gold from a gaudy
ring that belonged to Colin’s grandmother Ruby. I’m not much for diamonds and
gold ordinarily, but it’s super special that they have been passed down, especially
since there’s nothing really like that in my family – plus I like the recycling aspect.

Sometimes the only cure for the down and dirty blues is some giant glittery shoes.
At least that was my reasoning a few weeks ago, late at night, when my heart was
feeling so sorrowful for the state of the world, and for all my friends in New Orleans.
Silly, yes – but it helped, somehow. I feel cheered up just looking at them! They’re
very Diamond Dogs Biba-glam – which is an era of fashion that I have infinite love
for. Perfect for enacting Cockettes Fantasias, and actually remarkably comfortable.
They’re made by Jeffrey Campbell, and smell like really intense glue. Only downside!

Lots of altar-work lately. Home and hearth. Make the space for the sacred,
for the great work to manifested even in the smallest and humblest of ways.
Sweetgrass rope from my friend Sam, Lux Perpetua from Sienna. Love.

Magic egg and pyramid that was once my mother’s. My altar needs a dusting!
I can’t wait for springtime, when my garden is full of flowers I can adorn it with.
Do you have an altar? How do you work with it? What do you keep on it?

11 comments

Beautiful ring. You’ll have to see Susan’s next time we see you–it was my grandmother’s ring and I too love the old styles. As for your shoes, they sure would be a great Muse’s throw, aye? Except I’d hate to get hit in the head with them So happy for you both. B

I love that ring! I don’t have an alter in real space, though there is one in my mind most of the time. I do keep a few precious things about the house, all embued with meaning and personal power and that’s alright for now…

Congratulations! Been following your site for a year or so, what a treasure. I do keep an altar, have for all of my adult life. It, too, is very dusty right now! Plan to tidy it up before Candlemas next week. A request for a post about your tarot divination life, if you please! It is an interest & vocation of mine also.

I love making altars! I have four right now, one for Rosalin Franklin (the WOMAN who actually discovered the double helix!), one for Georgia O’keefe, fabulous spirit that she was, one for fatimah, and one for a dear little man in an old picture I found. I love feeding my altars fruit and dainties, and think it’s a great way to remember individuals loved & lost. So glad to know that you share this enthusiasm!

P.s. your ring is fabulous! I love that it is not a diamond, and that it is a meaningful, beautiful peace of love-sculpture.

I do have an altar of sorts – really just a shelf – covered in a somewhat chaotic assortment of meaningful things. Bits of flora and fauna from my favorite places in the world, objects passed down by family members, some photographs and books, my tarot cards and lots of candles that I use for sending good wishes to friends when needed… just looking at centers me. I try to cover it in objects that remind me of the most important things in my life, and use it as a focal point for meditation/prayer/energies. It can be very comforting.